Food & Drink

James Beard Foundation’s Night of Culinary Stars Hits Seattle October 19

Yeah, yeah, it's only July, but you'll want to get tickets for this a.s.a.p.

By Chelsea Lin July 26, 2018

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This is the time of year when everyone’s social calendar is maxed out—the last thing you’re probably thinking about is what you’re going to be doing in October. (Besides complaining about the rain, surely.) But the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America “A Night of Culinary Stars” is coming to Seattle on Oct. 19, and if you don’t get tickets now, you may not get the chance.

The foundation pops up in only 10 cities each fall for these individualized benefit dinners, so it’s a testament to Seattle’s culinary cred that we’ve been chosen (again). This year’s big draw is Edouardo Jordan, owner of JuneBaby and Salare, who took home two James Beard Awards (for Best New Restaurant and Best Chef: Northwest) at the ceremony in May. He’ll be cooking dinner alongside visiting chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of San Francisco’s State Bird Provisions, which is damn hard to get into (for good reason). There will also be bites from a variety of other local A-listers: Hogstone’s Jay Blackinton, Felipe Hernandez of Los Hernandes Tamales in Union Gap (which one a James Beard this year also), Adana’s Shota Nakajima, Mutsuko Soma of Kamonegi, Melissa Miranda of Musang and more. Think of this as a chef supergroup, with a single performance.

I reached out to Jordan, and he understandably doesn’t have any insights he can share about what he’ll be cooking just yet. But it’ll surely be delicious.

The event—appetizers, dinner, cocktails—will take place at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Tickets (starting at $295, with proceeds benefitting the James Beard Foundation) are available here. In full disclosure, Seattle mag is a media sponsor. But trust I’d be there regardless. You should be, too.

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